Following the suspension of the use of Twitter by the Nigerian Government, Nigerian telecommunication companies have blocked access to Twitter by Nigerians.
As of the early hours on Saturday, checks by BizWatch Nigeria showed that tweets on the social media platform did not load and Nigerians were unable to send tweets.
Also, the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) confirmed that its members had been directed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block Nigerians from accessing the platform.
A statement jointly signed by ALTON Chairman and Executive Secretary, Gbenga Adebayo and Gbolahan Awonuga on Saturday made this known.
“We, the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) wish to confirm that our members have received formal instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator to suspend access to Twitter,” ALTON said.
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“ALTON has conducted a robust assessment of the request in accordance with internationally accepted principles.
“Based on national interest provisions in the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003, and within the licence terms under which the industry operates; our members have acted in compliance with the directives of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator.
“We will continue to engage all the relevant authorities and stakeholders and will act as may be further directed by the NCC.
“We remain committed to supporting the government of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and upholding the rights of citizens.
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The network operators said they supported the rights of people to be protected online and offline as well as their rights to communicate and share information freely.
“As an industry, we endorse the position of the United Nations that the rights held by people offline must also be protected online. This includes respecting and protecting the rights of all people to communicate, to share information freely and responsibly, and to enjoy privacy and security regarding their data and their use of digital communications,” the association said.
